Search

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are usually formed via a wet chemical method using gold (III) chloride trihydrate (GC), which is treated with stable reducing agents such as sodium citrate (SC). This study determines the effect of coloured light on the formation of GNPs by irradiation of SC after the addition of GC (SCGC) and the effect of the SCGC photolytic procedure on the suppression of WiDr colon cancer cells by forming reactive oxygen species. The absorbance of surface plasmon resonance peaks at 523 nm are 0.069 and 0.219 for SCGC when treated with blue light illumination (BLI) and violet light irradiation (VLI), respectively, whereas green and red light treatments have little or no effect. Most GNPs have diameters ranging from 3 to 15 nm, with a mean of 6 nm, when SCGC is exposed to VLI for 1.5 h. Anionic superoxide radicals (O 2 •- ) are formed in a charge-transfer process after SCGC under VLI treatment; however, BLI treatment produces no significant reaction. Moreover, SCGC under VLI treatment proves to be considerably more effective at inhibiting WiDr cells than BLI treatment, as firstly reported in this study. The reduction rates for WiDr cells treated with SCGC under BLI and VLI at an intensity of 2.0 mW/cm 2 for 1.5 h (energy dose, 10.8 J/cm 2 ) are 4.1% and 57.7%, respectively. The suppression rates for WiDr cells treated with SCGC are inhibited in an irradiance-dependent manner, the inhibition percentages being 57.7%, 63.3%, and 80.2% achieved at VLI intensities of 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 mW/cm 2 for 1.5 h, respectively. Propidium iodide is a fluorescent dye that detects DNA changes after cell death. The number of propidium iodide-positive nuclei significantly increases in WiDr cells treated with SCGC under VLI, suggesting that SCGC photolysis under VLI is a potential treatment option for the photodynamic therapy process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Low temperature rechargeable batteries are important to life in cold climates, polar/deep-sea expeditions, and space explorations. Here, this work reports 3.5-4 V rechargeable lithium/chlorine (Li/Cl 2 ) batteries operating down to -80 °C, employing Li metal negative electrode, a novel carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) activated porous carbon (KJCO 2 ) as the positive electrode, and a high ionic conductivity (≈5-20 mS cm -1 from -80 °C to room-temperature) electrolyte comprised of aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), lithium chloride (LiCl), and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) in low-melting-point (-104.5 °C) thionyl chloride (SOCl 2 ). Between room-temperature and -80 °C, the Li/Cl 2 battery delivers up to ≈29 100-4500 mAh g -1 first discharge capacity (based on carbon mass) and a 1200-5000 mAh g -1 reversible capacity over up to 130 charge-discharge cycles. Mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy probe Cl 2 trapped in the porous carbon upon LiCl electro-oxidation during charging. At -80 °C, Cl 2 /SCl 2 /S 2 Cl 2 generated by electro-oxidation in the charging step are trapped in porous KJCO 2 carbon, allowing for reversible reduction to afford a high discharge voltage plateau near ≈4 V with up to ≈1000 mAh g -1 capacity for SCl 2 /S 2 Cl 2 reduction and up to ≈4000 mAh g -1 capacity at ≈3.1 V plateau for Cl 2 reduction., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Advancing new ideas of rechargeable batteries represents an important path to meeting the ever-increasing energy storage needs. Recently, we showed rechargeable sodium/chlorine (Na/Cl 2 ) (or lithium/chlorine Li/Cl 2 ) batteries that used a Na (or Li) metal negative electrode, a microporous amorphous carbon nanosphere (aCNS) positive electrode, and an electrolyte containing dissolved aluminum chloride and fluoride additives in thionyl chloride [G. Zhu et al. , Nature 596 , 525-530 (2021) and G. Zhu et al. , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 144 , 22505-22513 (2022)]. The main battery redox reaction involved conversion between NaCl and Cl 2 trapped in the carbon positive electrode, delivering a cyclable capacity of up to 1,200 mAh g -1 (based on positive electrode mass) at a ~3.5 V discharge voltage [G. Zhu et al. , Nature 596 , 525-530 (2021) and G. Zhu et al. , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 144 , 22505-22513 (2022)]. Here, we identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that upon charging a Na/Cl 2 battery, chlorination of carbon in the positive electrode occurred to form carbon-chlorine (C-Cl) accompanied by molecular Cl 2 infiltrating the porous aCNS, consistent with Cl 2 probed by mass spectrometry. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction observed the development of graphitic ordering in the initially amorphous aCNS under battery charging when the carbon matrix was oxidized/chlorinated and infiltrated with Cl 2 . The C-Cl, Cl 2 species and graphitic ordering were reversible upon discharge, accompanied by NaCl formation. The results revealed redox conversion between NaCl and Cl 2 , reversible graphitic ordering/amorphourization of carbon through battery charge/discharge, and probed trapped Cl 2 in porous carbon by XPS.

In this study, differently shaped silver nanoparticles used for the synthesis of gold nanoclusters with small capping ligands were demonstrated. Silver nanoparticles provide a reaction platform that plays dual roles in the formation of Au NCs. One is to reduce gold ions and the other is to attract capping ligands to the surface of nanoparticles. The binding of capping ligands to the AgNP surface creates a restricted space on the surface while gold ions are being reduced by the particles. Four different shapes of AgNPs were prepared and used to examine whether or not this approach is dependent on the morphology of AgNPs. Quasi-spherical AgNPs and silver nanoplates showed excellent results when they were used to synthesize Au NCs. Spherical AgNPs and triangular nanoplates exhibited limited synthesis of Au NCs. TEM images demonstrated that Au NCs were transiently assembled on the surface of silver nanoparticles in the method. The formation of Au NCs was observed on the whole surface of the QS-AgNPs if the synthesis of Au NCs was mediated by QS-AgNPs. In contrast, formation of Au NCs was only observed on the edges and corners of AgNPts if the synthesis of Au NCs was mediated by AgNPts. All of the synthesized Au NCs emitted bright red fluorescence under UV-box irradiation. The synthesized Au NCs displayed similar fluorescent properties, including quantum yields and excitation and emission wavelengths.

Vitrification and laser warming have gained popularity over the traditional convective warming techniques in cryopreservation. Laser warming is rapid with uniform effects, thus preventing ice crystal formation in samples. Contemporary laser warming studies have focused on proof-of-concept experiments. Yet, no protocols or techniques have been developed to address the problem of warming samples from long-term storage. Herein, a new approach to laser warming samples without exposing the samples to ambient temperature is introduced. The new device presented has a mean laser-hitting accuracy of 76% ± 16% and a rewarming rate of 59% ± 25% on samples with <1 μL in volume. Although these rates depend on the choice of vitrification solution and mastery of the technique, the approach described represents a successful first step toward laser warming samples from long-term cryo-storage.

Vitrification and ultrarapid laser warming are crucial for the cryopreservation of animal embryos, oocytes, and other cells of medicinal, genetic, and agricultural value. In the present study, we focused on alignment and bonding techniques for a special cryojig that combines a jig tool and jig holder into one piece. This novel cryojig was used to obtain a high laser accuracy of 95% and a successful rewarming rate of 62%. The experimental results indicated that our refined device improved laser accuracy in the warming process after long-term cryo-storage through vitrification. We anticipate that our findings will lead to cryobanking applications that use vitrification and laser nanowarming to preserve cells and tissues from a wide range of species.

Developing new types of high-capacity and high-energy density rechargeable batteries is important to future generations of consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and mass energy storage applications. Recently, we reported ∼3.5 V sodium/chlorine (Na/Cl 2 ) and lithium/chlorine (Li/Cl 2 ) batteries with up to 1200 mAh g -1 reversible capacity, using either a Na or a Li metal as the negative electrode, an amorphous carbon nanosphere (aCNS) as the positive electrode, and aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ) dissolved in thionyl chloride (SOCl 2 ) with fluoride-based additives as the electrolyte [Zhu et al., Nature , 2021 , 596 (7873), 525-530]. The high surface area and large pore volume of aCNS in the positive electrode facilitated NaCl or LiCl deposition and trapping of Cl 2 for reversible NaCl/Cl 2 or LiCl/Cl 2 redox reactions and battery discharge/charge cycling. Here, we report an initially low surface area/porosity graphite (DGr) material as the positive electrode in a Li/Cl 2 battery, attaining high battery performance after activation in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) at 1000 °C (DGr&#95;ac) with the first discharge capacity ∼1910 mAh g -1 and a cycling capacity up to 1200 mAh g -1 . Ex situ Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the evolution of graphite over battery cycling, including intercalation/deintercalation and exfoliation that generated sufficient pores for hosting LiCl/Cl 2 redox. This work opens up widely available, low-cost graphitic materials for high-capacity alkali metal/Cl 2 batteries. Lastly, we employed mass spectrometry to probe the Cl 2 trapped in the graphitic positive electrode, shedding light into the Li/Cl 2 battery operation.

Anode-free lithium-metal batteries employ in situ lithium-plated current collectors as negative electrodes to afford optimal mass and volumetric energy densities. The main challenges to such batteries include their poor cycling stability and the safety issues of the flammable organic electrolytes. Here, a high-voltage 4.7 V anode-free lithium-metal battery is reported, which uses a Cu foil coated with a layer (≈950 nm) of silicon-polyacrylonitrile (Si-PAN, 25.5 µg cm -2 ) as the negative electrode, a high-voltage cobalt-free LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) as the positive electrode and a safe, nonflammable ionic liquid electrolyte composed of 4.5 m lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) salt in N-methyl-N-propyl pyrrolidiniumbis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (Py 13 FSI) with 1 wt% lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) as additive. The Si-PAN coating is found to seed the growth of lithium during charging, and reversibly expand/shrink during lithium plating/stripping over battery cycling. The wide-voltage-window electrolyte containing a high concentration of FSI - and TFSI - facilitates the formation of stable solid-electrolyte interphase, affording a 4.7 V anode-free Cu@Si-PAN/LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 battery with a reversible specific capacity of ≈120 mAh g -1 and high cycling stability (80% capacity retention after 120 cycles). These results represent the first anode-free Li battery with a high 4.7 V discharge voltage and high safety., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

With the resistive random access memory (ReRAM) devices based on the Al/BaTiO 3 (BTO)/ITO structure fabricated at hand, by cross-analyzing the resistive memory characteristics in terms of various barium titanate (BTO) film thicknesses, it is found that the device with 60 nm thick BTO can be switched more than 425 times, while the corresponding SET/RESET voltage, the on-off ratio, and the retention time are -0.69 V/0.475 V, 10 2 , and more than 10 4 seconds, respectively. Furthermore, the aforementioned ReRAM with a low switching voltage and low power consumption is further integrated with a waveguide resonator in the form of a dual microdisk aligned in a parallel fashion. As the separation gap between the two microdisks is fixed at 15 μm, the ReRAM-mediated dual disk resonator would render a 180° phase reversal between the spectral outputs of the through-port and drop-port. If the gap is shortened to 10 and 5 μm, the expected phase reversal could also be retrieved due to the selective combinations of different memory states associated with each of the two ReRAM microdisks as witnessed by a series of characterization measurements.

Plasmon-mediated shape transformation from quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to silver nanoprisms (AgNPrs) and decahedral silver nanoparticles (D-AgNPs) under irradiation of blue LEDs (λ = 456 ± 12 nm, 80 mW/cm 2 ) was studied at temperatures ranging between 60, 40, 30, 20, 10, and 0 °C. It was found that reaction temperature affected transformation rates and influenced the morphology distribution of final products. The major products synthesized at temperatures between 60 °C and 0 °C were AgNPrs and D-AgNPs, respectively. The D-AgNPs synthesized at such low temperatures are unstable and become blunt when light irradiation is removed after the photochemical synthesis. These blunt nanoparticles with pentagonal multiple-twinned structures can be further used as the seeds to reconstruct complete D-AgNPs after irradiating blue LEDs at various bath temperatures. Our results showed that these rebuilt D-AgNPs are much more stable when at higher bath temperatures. Furthermore, the rebuilt D-AgNPs (edge lengths ~41 nm) can grow into larger D-AgNPs (edge lengths ~53 nm) after the irradiation of green LEDs. Surface-enhanced Raman spectra of CV in AgNP colloids showed that D-AgNP colloids have better SERS enhancements factors than AgNPrs.

A new strategy using silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to synthesize thiolated Au NCs is demonstrated. The quasi-spherical Ag NPs serve as a platform, functioning as a reducing agent for Au (III) and attracting capping ligands to the surface of the Ag NPs. Glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and dithiothreitol (DTT) were used as capping ligands to synthesize thiolated Au NCs (glutathione-Au NCs and DTT-Au NCs). The glutathione-Au NCs and DTT-Au NCs showed red color luminance with similar emission wavelengths (630 nm) at an excitation wavelength of 354 nm. The quantum yields of the glutathione-Au NCs and DTT-Au NCs were measured to be 7.3% and 7.0%, respectively. An electrophoretic mobility assay showed that the glutathione-Au NCs moved toward the anode, while the DTT-Au NCs were not mobile under the electric field, suggesting that the total net charge of the thiolated Au NCs is determined by the charges on the capping ligands. The detection of the K SV values, 26 M -1 and 0 M -1 , respectively, revealed that glutathione-Au NCs are much more accessible to an aqueous environment than DTT-Au NCs.

Edible oils are valuable sources of nutrients, and their classification is necessary to ensure high quality, which is essential to food safety. This study reports the establishment of a rapid and straightforward SALDI-TOF MS platform used to detect triacylglycerol (TAG) in various edible oils. Silver nanoplates (AgNPts) were used to optimize the SALDI samples for high sensitivity and reproducibility of TAG signals. TAG fingerprints were combined with multivariate statistics to identify the critical features of edible oil discrimination. Eleven various edible oils were discriminated using principal component analysis (PCA). The results suggested the creation of a robust platform that can examine food adulteration and food fraud, potentially ensuring high-quality foods and agricultural products.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in applications ranging from electric vehicles to wearable devices. Before the invention of secondary LIBs, the primary lithium-thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl 2 ) battery was developed in the 1970s using SOCl 2 as the catholyte, lithium metal as the anode and amorphous carbon as the cathode 1-7 . This battery discharges by lithium oxidation and catholyte reduction to sulfur, sulfur dioxide and lithium chloride, is well known for its high energy density and is widely used in real-world applications; however, it has not been made rechargeable since its invention 8-13 . Here we show that with a highly microporous carbon positive electrode, a starting electrolyte composed of aluminium chloride in SOCl 2 with fluoride-based additives, and either sodium or lithium as the negative electrode, we can produce a rechargeable Na/Cl 2 or Li/Cl 2 battery operating via redox between mainly Cl 2 /Cl - in the micropores of carbon and Na/Na + or Li/Li + redox on the sodium or lithium metal. The reversible Cl 2 /NaCl or Cl 2 /LiCl redox in the microporous carbon affords rechargeability at the positive electrode side and the thin alkali-fluoride-doped alkali-chloride solid electrolyte interface stabilizes the negative electrode, both are critical to secondary alkali-metal/Cl 2 batteries., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

In this study we prepared six types of carbon nanodots (CNDs) from natural plant materials - through carbonization of two species of bamboo (Bamboo-I, Bamboo-II) and one type of wood (Wood), and through hydrothermal processing of the stem and root of the herb Mahonia oiwakensis Hayata (MO) and of the agricultural waste of two species of pineapple root (PA, PB). The resulting CNDs were spherical with dimensions on the nanoscale (3-7 nm); furthermore, CND-Bamboo I, CND-Wood, CND-Bamboo II, CND-MO, CND-PA, and CND-PB displayed fluorescence quantum yields of 9.63, 12.34, 0.90, 10.86, 0.35, and 0.71%, respectively. X-ray diffraction revealed that the carbon nanostructures possessed somewhat ordered and disordered lattices, as evidenced by broad signals at values of 2 θ between 20 and 30°. CND-Bamboo I, CND-Wood, and CND-Bamboo II were obtained in yields of 2-3%; CND-MO, CND-PA, and CND-PB were obtained in yields of 17.64, 9.36, and 22.47%, respectively. Cytotoxicity assays for mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells treated with the six types of CNDs and a commercial sample of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) revealed that each of our CNDs provided a cell viability of 90% at 2000 μg mL -1 , whereas it was only 20% after treatment with the Ag NPs at 62.5 μg mL -1 . The six types of CNDs also displayed low cytotoxicity toward human keratinocyte HacaT cells, human MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells when treated at 500 μg mL -1 . Moreover, confocal microscopic cell imaging revealed that the fluorescent CND-Bamboo I particles were located on the MCF-7 cell membrane and inside the cells after treatment for 6 and 24 h, respectively. We have thoroughly investigated the photoluminescence properties and carbon nanostructures of these highly dispersed CNDs. Because of the facile green synthesis of these six types of CNDs and their sourcing from abundant natural plants, herbs, and agriculture waste, these materials provide a cost-effective method, with low cytotoxicity and stable fluorescence, for biolabeling and for developing cell nanocarriers., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Coral reefs worldwide are receding because of detrimental human activities, and cryopreservation of coral larvae would ensure that their genetic biodiversity is not irremediably lost. In recent years, the vitrification and laser warming of coral propagules has demonstrated promising results. During cryopreservation, cellular membranes undergo substantial reconfigurations that may affect survival. Fat enrichment may alter the physical proprieties of cell membranes and improve resistance to low temperatures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether supplementation of exogenous lipids using liposomes would improve cryosurvival and further development of the vitrified and laser-warmed coral larvae of Seriatopora caliendrum and Pocillopora verrucosa. A vitrification solution (VS) composed of 2 M ethylene glycol (EG), 1 M propylene glycol (PG), 40% (w/v) Ficoll, and 10% gold nanoparticles (at a final concentration of 1.2 × 10 18 particles/m 3 and an optimised emission wavelength of 535 nm) was chosen. Coral larvae were subjected to vitrification with VS incorporating one of four lipid classes: phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), erucic acid (EA), and linoleic acid (LA). Warming was achieved using a single laser pulse (300 V, 10 ms pulse width, 2 mm laser beam diameter). A significantly higher vitality rate was observed in S. caliendrum larvae subjected to vitrification and laser warming with EA-incorporated VS, and P. verrucosa larvae vitrified and laser warmed using PE-incorporated VS achieved a significantly higher settlement rate. Our study demonstrated that supplementation of exogenous lipids with liposomes enhances coral larvae cryotolerance and improves cryopreservation outcomes. Lipid enrichment may play a key role in cryobanking coral propagules, and in propagule development after thawing., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Potassium secondary batteries are contenders of next-generation energy storage devices owing to the much higher abundance of potassium than lithium. However, safety issues and poor cycle life of K metal battery have been key bottlenecks. Here we report an ionic liquid electrolyte comprising 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride/AlCl 3 /KCl/potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide for safe and high-performance batteries. The electrolyte is nonflammable and exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 13.1 mS cm -1 at room temperature. A 3.6-V battery with K anode and Prussian blue/reduced graphene oxide cathode delivers a high energy and power density of 381 and 1,350 W kg -1 , respectively. The battery shows an excellent cycling stability over 820 cycles, retaining ∼89% of the original capacity with high Coulombic efficiencies of ∼99.9%. High cyclability is also achieved at elevated temperatures up to 60 °C. Uniquely, robust K, Al, F, and Cl-containing passivating interphases are afforded with this electrolyte, which is key to superior battery cycling performances., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.

We developed a preconcentration method in which aerosol droplets containing enriched perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSs) are generated through bubble bursting and collected. The droplets were subjected to PFS analysis of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) through surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry; silver nanoplates (AgNPts) were assisting materials. The method was highly efficient, with an approximately three-order magnitude enhancement (5 × 10 -13 to 1 × 10 -11 M). Ultralow PFS concentrations (0.5 ng/L of PFOS; 0.4 ng/L of PFHxS) were detected in preconcentrated tap water containing PFSs. Our method has potential for rapid real-world PFS detection in water., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Rechargeable lithium metal batteries are next generation energy storage devices with high energy density, but face challenges in achieving high energy density, high safety, and long cycle life. Here, lithium metal batteries in a novel nonflammable ionic-liquid (IL) electrolyte composed of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (EMIm) cations and high-concentration bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI) anions, with sodium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (NaTFSI) as a key additive are reported. The Na ion participates in the formation of hybrid passivation interphases and contributes to dendrite-free Li deposition and reversible cathode electrochemistry. The electrolyte of low viscosity allows practically useful cathode mass loading up to ≈16 mg cm -2 . Li anodes paired with lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO 2 ) and lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 , NCM 811) cathodes exhibit 99.6-99.9% Coulombic efficiencies, high discharge voltages up to 4.4 V, high specific capacity and energy density up to ≈199 mAh g -1 and ≈765 Wh kg -1 respectively, with impressive cycling performances over up to 1200 cycles. Highly stable passivation interphases formed on both electrodes in the novel IL electrolyte are the key to highly reversible lithium metal batteries, especially for Li-NMC 811 full batteries., (© 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

: In this study, a glass/indium tin oxide (ITO)/formamidinium-methylammonium-cesium (FA-MA-Cs) tri-cation lead iodide perovskite/poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA)/Al memory device with a controlled composition of (FA 0.75 MA 0.25 ) 1-x Cs x PbI 3 (x = 0-0.1) is demonstrated to exhibit bipolar resistive switching behavior. The tri-cation organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite film was prepared by a one-step solution process in which the amount of Cs was varied to modify the property of FA 0.75 MA 0.25 PbI 3 . It was found that the microstructure and defect properties of films are highly dependent on the contents of FA, MA, and Cs in the perovskite. The results found that 5% CsI doping is the optimized condition for improving the quality of FA 0.75 MA 0.25 PbI 3 , forming a high quality tri-cation perovskite film with a smooth, uniform, stable and robust crystalline grain structure. The resistive switching on/off ratio of the (FA 0.75 MA 0.25 ) 0.95 Cs 0.05 PbI 3 device is greater than 10 3 owing to the improved thin-film quality. Moreover, for the 5% CsI doped FA 0.75 MA 0.25 PbI 3 films, the endurance and the stability of retention are better than the non-doped film. The improved microstructure and memory properties are attributed to the balance stress of FA/MA/Cs with different ionic size. It suggests the potential to achieve a desired resistive memory property of tri-cationic perovskite by carefully adjusting the cation ratios., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common clinical disease with high morbidity in both humans and animals. Studies have shown that intestinal microbiota affect the pathology and immune function of respiratory diseases through the "gut-lung axis". The authors investigated the therapeutic effect of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in rats with ALI induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Rats were treated with FMT, and then measured lung wet/dry ratio, PaO 2 in artery, proinflammatory marker, and TGF-β1, Smad3, Smad7, and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) protein levels, as well as a histopathologic analysis and high-throughput sequencing of intestinal microbiota. FMT significantly reduced lung wet/dry ratio and TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels, but increased the levels of PaO 2 in artery. In addition, FMT significantly decreased the expression of TGF-β1, Smad3, and p-ERK, while increased the levels of Smad7. Lung histopathological analyses showed that FMT reduced the inflammatory cell infiltration and interstitial lung exudates. High-throughput sequencing of intestinal microbiota analyses showed that FMT reconstructed the structure of intestinal microbiota, and increased the gene abundance of the bacterial community. Therefore, FMT may act on the TGF-β1/Smads/ERK pathway by regulating intestinal microbiota, inhibiting immune inflammation, reducing the production of inflammatory markers in the body and release, and reducing alveolar epithelial damage and repair, thereby improving the endotoxic ALI in rats induced by LPS., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2020.)

Coral reefs are suffering on a global scale due to human impacts, thereby necessitating cryopreservation efforts. The objective of this study was to develop a suitable vitrification and laser warming protocol for larvae of the scleractinian coral Seriatopora caliendrum, which inherit their dinoflagellate algal symbionts vertically. Toxicity experiments were conducted with the cryoprotectants (CPAs) ethylene glycol (EG), propylene glycol (PG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol (GLY), and methanol (METH; listed in order from least to most toxic), and larvae were subjected to vitrification and laser warming using 2 M EG + 1 M PG and 2 M EG + 1 M DMSO. Vitrification and laser warming (300 V, 10 ms pulse width, 2 mm beam diameter) using a vitrification solution of 2 M EG + 1 M PG, 40% w/v Ficoll, and 10% v/v gold nanobars (GNB) at a final concentration of 1.2 × 10 18 GNB/mL and a characteristic wavelength of 535 nm resulted in larvae with vitality and settlement percentages of 55 and 9%, respectively. This represents the first successful instance of cryopreservation of coral larvae that proceeded to settle upon warming, and suggests that the vitrification and ultra-fast laser warming approach may be applicable to other threatened marine species.

Truncated silver nanodecahedrons (TAgNDs) and truncated silver nanoplates (TAgNPs) fabricated via chemical reduction and photochemical methods were added to poly[3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene]:poly[styrenesulfonate] (PEDOT:PSS) as dopants to promote the luminous efficiency of blue-emitting polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). The differences in shape between TAgNDs and TAgNPs result in better dispersion of TAgNDs in PEDOT:PSS. Therefore, at an optimal doping concentration (the distributed density in the light-emitting region is 6.88 μg cm -2 for TAgNDs and 5.16 μg cm -2 for TAgNPs), the average current efficacy and maximum electroluminescence intensity enhancement factor for TAgND-doped PLEDs were 4.18 cd A -1 and 420%, respectively, which are much higher than those for TAgNP-doped PLEDs (1.83 cd A -1 and 200%) at a luminescence wavelength of 440 nm.

The coupling of surface plasmons and excitons in the emissive layer (EML) can improve the performance of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) with a decahedron structure are prepared by the chemical reduction and photochemical methods and doped directly into the EML after the phase-transfer process. The surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag-NPs, which makes full use of quenched excitons and increases the efficiency of excitons in the EML in a PLED, enhances the current efficacy by a factor of 75 relative to that of the undoped reference device (from 0.22 to 16.64 cd/A). These results demonstrate that Ag-NPs can assist in simple and low-cost fabrication of high-performance polymer optoelectronic devices.

A photoassisted citrate reduction reaction under blue LEDs is an easy and highly reproducible method to synthesize high-yield decahedral silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the absence of seeds in the initial photochemical reaction. In this study, icosahedral AgNPs with sizes of 80 to 150 nm could be synthesized by using the photoassisted tartrate reduction method under UV light with a wavelength of λ=(310±12) nm. The product yield of icosahedral AgNPs is higher than 90 %. SAED (selected-area electron diffraction) patterns and XRD (X-ray diffraction) spectra show that these AgNPs have multiply twinned structures. High-resolution TEM and dark-field TEM show that the facet of the triangular planes of these icosahedral AgNPs is {111}. This is the first report of icosahedral AgNPs synthesized by using a seed-free photochemical method. SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) of Crystal Violet (CV) measurements show that the as-prepared icosahedral AgNP colloids have excellent SERS enhancement factors, which are approximately four and six times the enhancement factors of decahedral AgNP colloids and thermal-citrate-reduction AgNP colloids, respectively., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Silver nanoparticles can be prepared by using a seed-free photo-assisted citrate reduction method under the irradiation of a sodium lamp. Under the same irradiation intensity, bath temperatures are crucial in influencing the reaction rate, morphologies of final products, and shape evolution of the silver nanostructures. For example, when the bath temperature is 80 °C, the product yields of silver nanoplates, nanorods, and nanodecahedra are 38±6 %, 35±10 %, and 12±8 %, respectively. However, when the bath temperature is 30 °C, the product yields of silver nanoplates, nanorods, and nanodecahedra are 6±3 %, 0 %, and 83±16 %, respectively. Time-dependent UV/Vis spectra and TEM images show that silver nanoplates were formed at the earlier reaction stage and greatly decreased in amount at the later stage when the bath temperatures are less than or equal to 40 °C. This indicates that the silver nanoplates, which can be regarded as intermediates, are kinetically favored products. They are not thermodynamically favored products at these relatively low bath temperatures. The SERS spectra of crystal violet (CV) show that all the silver colloids synthesized at various temperatures exhibit good enhancement factors and that the colloids prepared at lower bath temperatures have a higher enhancement factor., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of interleukin (IL)-17A in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis. In total, 20 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal saline (NS group) and a bleomycin group (BLM group). The BLM group rats were intratracheally instilled with BLM, while the NS group rats were intratracheally instilled with saline. In each group, half the rats were sacrificed at day 7 and day 28, respectively, following intratracheal instillation. Subsequently, hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to observe the pathological changes in the lung tissue, while the expression of IL-17A in the lung tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and divided into two sections. One section was used for cell counting and classification, and an ELISA was performed to detect the concentration of IL-17A in the BALF. The additional section was used to separate, purify and cultivate alveolar macrophages (AMs). The concentration of IL-17A in the cultivating supernatant was detected by ELISA, and the mRNA expression levels of IL-17A in the AMs were detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results revealed that a considerable number of inflammatory cells had infiltrated into the alveolar cavity in the BLM group at day 7, and less alveolitis and more serious fibrosis were observed at day 28, as compared with the NS group. Furthermore, when compared with the NS group, the protein expression levels of IL-17A in the lung tissue were markedly higher in the BLM group at days 7 and 28 (higher at day 7; P<0.05). In addition, the total number of BALF cells in the BLM group was clearly higher at day 7 when compared with the NS group (P<0.05), although a normal level was re-established by day 28. The level of IL-17A in the BALF increased significantly at days 7 and 28 in the BLM group; however, when compared with the level at day 7, the concentration had decreased at day 28. When compared with the NS group, the protein expression levels of IL-17A in the BLM group were notably higher after 12, 24 and 48 h. In addition, the results of the RT-PCR assay revealed that the mRNA expression levels of IL-17A increased significantly at days 7 and 28 in the BLM group when compared with the NS group (P<0.05). Therefore, IL-17A was demonstrated to promote the development of pulmonary inflammation, which may be involved in the development of pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of B cell activating transcription factor (BATF) on acute airway inflammation and its association with retinoic acid orphan nuclear receptors gammat (RORyt) in asthmatic mice., Methods: 24 female BALB/c mice were randomly and equally divided into three groups (n 8): normal saline (NS) treated, asthma (AS) control and dexamethasone (DEX) treated. AS mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA to establish murine asthma model. Histological changes in lung tissues of the mice were observed by HE staining. Numbers of white blood cell (WBC), polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) and eosinophils (EOS) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the mice were counted. The concentration of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in BALF was measured by ELISA. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to assess the mRNA expressions of BATF, IL-17 and RORγt in the lung tissues., Results: The HE staining showed a higher level of inflammatory cell infiltration around the bronchi of AS mice compared with those treated with NS, predominantly in the forms of EOS, PMN and lymphocytes. The AS and DEX treated mice had higher levels of EOS, PMN, WBC and mRNA expressions of BATF, IL-17 and RORγt in BALF than those treated with NS (P < 0.05). DEX reduced the levels of EOS, PMN, WBC and IL-17 in BALF significantly (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of BATF in lung tissues of mice was positively correlated with the expression of IL-17, RORγt and the counts of WBC,EOS and PMN in BALF (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Asthmatic mice have increased expressions of BATF, IL-17 and RORγt in bronchial and lung tissues. BATF can, through regulating the secretion of Th17 cells, readjust the airway inflammatory. The regulatory function may take effect through synergy with RORγt .

Plasmon-mediated shape conversion of spherical silver nanoparticles (NPs) to nanostructures with other shapes under the irradiation of green LEDs (520 ± 20 nm, 35 mw/cm²) at various temperatures (60, 40, 20, 10, 5, and 0 °C) was performed in this study. It was found that the bath temperature used in the reaction can influence the reaction rates, i.e. , the times needed for the shape transformation process were 5, 11.5, 25, 45, 72, and 100 h at 60, 40, 20, 10, 5, and 0 °C, respectively. In addition, the bath temperature can also alter the morphologies of the final products. The major products are silver nanoplates at 60, 40 and 20 °C. However, they became decahedral silver NPs at 5 and 0 °C. The percentages of decahedral silver NPs synthesized at 60, 40, 20, 10, 5, and 0 °C are 0%, 1%, 5%, 45%, 73%, and 89%, respectively. Measuring the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) spectra of the probe molecule R6G in the presence of KBr showed that both silver nanoplate colloids synthesized at 60 °C and decahedral silver NP colloids synthesized at 0 °C in the absence of PVP had good SERS activities.

Based on the difference in the redox potentials between two metal species, the galvanic replacement reaction is known to create an irreversible process to generate hollow nanostructures in a wide range of shapes. In the context of galvanic replacement reaction, continuing etching leads to the general collapse of the hollow structures because of the excess amount of oxidizing agent. We demonstrate the growth of solid nanostructures from a hollow frame-like architecture in the course of a galvanic replacement reaction without any morphology destruction. We report the successful composition transformation of solid Ag with a wide range of shapes, such as plate, decahedron, rod, prism, sphere, and foil, from as thin as <10 nm up to 5 μm and with an area of ∼4 mm(2), to their solid Au counterparts using straightforward chemical reactions. The successful conversion process relies on a decrease in the reduction rate of the metallic precursor to initiate dissolution of Ag in the first stage (a galvanic replacement reaction), then a subsequent backfilling of Au into the hollowed-out structures. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant, a key parameter, interacts with metal salt precursor to form a complex species that retards metal reduction. In addition, we demonstrate conversion of solid nano-Ag to solid nano-Pd as well as of Cu foil (10 μm thick) to shiny Au foil.

Aim: To investigate the effects of andrographolide on the concentration of TNF-α and TGF-β1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the expressions of type I and III collagen mRNA in Lung tissue in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats., Methods: 90 healthy SD male rats were randomly divided into 6 groups with 15 rats each group: normal saline (NS) group, BLM group, prednisone (Pred) group and different doses of andrographolide groups (andrographolide group A 62.5 mg/kg, andrographolide group B 125 mg/kg and andrographolide group C 250 mg/kg). BLM was given to BLM group, Pred group and andrographolide group A, B, C by intratracheal instillation, and same volume of NS was given to NS group in the same way. And then NS was given to NS group and BLM group, Pred was given to Pred group and different does of andrographolide were given to andrograoholide group A, B, C by gavage every day. Five rats of each group were killed respectively at day 7, 14, 28 after intratracheal instillation. Alveolitis and fibrosis were observed by HE and Masson staining. Real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (FQ RT-PCR) was performed to detect the expressions of type I and III collagen mRNA in lung tissue, and the concentration of TNF-α and TGF-β1 in BALF was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were also examined., Results: (1) The AST, ALT, BUN and Cr in every group had no significant diference(P>0.05). (2) Alveolar septal edema, inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis were not found in NS group. In the BLM group, lots of inflammatory cells infiltration were observed in the alveolar at day 7; the alveolitis was still existed, but inflammatory cells were significantly reduced, and the number of the fibroblasts and matrix in alveolar septum were obviously increased at day 14, at the same time, alveolar structure was damaged and alveolar septum widened; the inflammation cells infiltration of the alveolar was relieved, pulmonary fibrosis was increased, and parts of alveolar space was disappeared , severe fibrosis was found at day 28. It was similar between andrographolide group A and BLM group in pathomorphology. A lot of inflammatory cells infiltration and local accumulation were observed at day 7 in andrographolide group B, C and Pred group. However, compared with andrographolide group A and BLM group, the fibrosis at day 14, 28 was significantly reduced.(3) The concentration of TGF-β1, TNF-α in BALF of NS group was significantly lower than that of Pred group, BLM group, andrographolide group A, B, C at each time point(P<0.05). The concentration of TGF-β1 and TNF-α in BALF of BLM group at day 7, 14, 28 was higher than that of Pred group, andrographolide group B and andrographolide group C (P<0.05). Compared with BLM group, the concentration of TGF-β1 and TNF-α in BALF of andrographolide group A had no significant difference. (4) The expression of type I and III collagen mRNA in lung tissue of NS group was significantly lower than that of group Pred, BLM, andrographolide group A, B, C at each time point (P<0.05). The expression of type I and III collagen mRNA in lung tissue of BLM group at day 7, 14, 28 was higher than that of Pred group, andrographolide group B and andrographolide group C (P<0.05). Compared with BLM group, the expression of type I and III collagen mRNA in lung tissue of andrographolide group A had no significant difference., Conclusion: In BLM-induced rat pulmonary fibrosis, andrographolide could attenuate alveolitis and fibrosis, decrease mRNA expression of collagen I and III in lung tissue and decrease the concentration of TNF-α and TGF-β1 in BALF. It had no side effects on liver and kidney function.

This article reports the synthesis and use of surface-modified iron oxide particles for the simultaneous purification and immobilization of Bacillus stearothermophilus aminopeptidase II (BsAPII) tagged C-terminally with either tri- or nona-lysines (BsAPII-Lys(3/9)). The carboxylated magnetic particles were prepared by the simple co-precipitation of Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) in aqueous medium and then subsequently modified with adipic acid. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs showed that the carboxylated magnetic particles remained discrete and had no significant change in size after binding BsAPIIs. Wild-type enzyme and BsAPII-Lys(3) could be purified to near homogeneity by the carboxylated magnetic particles, but it was not easy to elute the adsorbed BsAPII-Lys(9) from the matrix. Free BsAPII, BsAPII-Lys(3), and BsAPII-Lys(9) were active in the temperature range 50-70 degrees C and all had an optimum of 50 degrees C, whereas the optimum temperature and thermal stability of BsAPII-Lys(3) and BsAPII-Lys(9) were improved as a result of immobilization. The immobilized BsAPII-Lys(9) could be recycled ten times without a significant loss of the enzyme activity and had a better stability during storage than BsAPII. Owing to its high efficiency and cost-effectiveness, this magnetic adsorbent may be used as a novel purification-immobilization system for the positively charged enzymes.

Herein, we find that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra of silver nanoprisms in the presence of halide ions change gradually with reaction time. The changes in the spectra correspond to the shape transformation of silver nanoprisms. There are threshold concentrations of halide ions that initiate the shape-transformation reaction. The threshold concentrations for Cl(-), Br(-), and I(-) are about 3x10(-4) M, 1x10(-6) M, and 1.5x10(-6) M, respectively. Any concentrations of the added halide ions above these thresholds can eventually etch the silver nanoprisms into nanodisks if the reaction time is long enough. The higher the concentration of the halide ions, the higher the etching rate will be. The kinetics of the shape transformation of the silver nanoprisms can be studied by recording their time-dependent surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra on a commercial UV/Vis-NIR spectrometer. The peak positions of in-plane dipole SPR bands of silver colloids in the presence of chloride and bromide ions can be fitted very well with the biexponential functions. We propose that the fast components of the biexponential behaviors should correlate to the truncating effect on the corners of silver nanoprisms, and the slow component should correlate to the redeposition of the truncated residues onto the basal plane of the nanoplates.

The photodissociation of jet-cooled alpha-fluorotoluene and 4-fluorotoluene at 193 and 248 nm was studied using vacuum ultraviolet (vuv) photoionization/multimass ion imaging techniques as well as electron impact ionization/photofragment translational spectroscopy. Four dissociation channels were observed for alpha-fluorotoluene at both 193 and 248 nm, including two major channels C6H5CH2F-->C6H5CH2 (or C7H7)+F and C6H5CH2F-->C6H5CH (or C7H6)+HF and two minor channels C6H5CH2F-->C6H5CHF+H and C6H5CH2F-->C6H5+CH2F. The vuv wavelength dependence of the C7H7 fragment photoionization spectra indicates that at least part of the F atom elimination channel results from the isomerization of alpha-fluorotoluene to a seven-membered ring prior to dissociation. Dissociation channels of 4-fluorotoluene at 193 nm include two major channels C6H4FCH3-->C6H4FCH2+H and C6H4FCH3-->C6H4F+CH3 and two minor channels C6H4FCH3-->C6H5CH2 (or C7H7)+F and C6H4FCH3-->C6H5CH (or C7H6)+HF. The dissociation rates for alpha-fluorotoluene at 193 and 248 nm are 3.3 x 10(7) and 5.6 x 10(5) s(-1), respectively. The dissociation rate for 4-fluorotoluene at 193 nm is 1.0 x 10(6) s(-1). An ab initio calculation demonstrates that the barrier height for isomerization from alpha-fluorotoluene to a seven-membered ring isomer is much lower than that from 4-fluorotoluene to a seven-membered ring isomer. The experimental observed differences of dissociation rates and relative branching ratios between alpha-fluorotoluene and 4-fluorotoluene may be explained by the differences in the six-membered ring to seven-membered ring isomerization barrier heights, F atom elimination threshold, and HF elimination threshold between alpha-fluorotoluene and 4-fluorotoluene.

A simple method to generate and characterize a pure highly vibrationally excited azulene molecular beam is demonstrated. Azulene molecules initially excited to the S4 state by 266-nm UV photons reach high vibrationally excited levels of the ground electronic state upon rapid internal conversion from the S4 electronically excited state. VUV laser beams at 157 and 118 nm, respectively, are used to characterize the relative concentrations of the highly vibrationally excited azulene and the rotationally and vibrationally cooled azulene in the molecular beam. With a laser intensity of 34 mJ/cm2, 75% of azulene molecules absorb a single 266-nm photon and become highly vibrationally excited molecules. The remaining ground-state azulene molecules absorb two or more UV photons, ending up either as molecular cations, which are repelled out of the beam by an electric field, or as dissociation fragments, which veer off the molecular-beam axis. No azulene without absorption of UV photons is left in the molecular beam. The molecular beam that contains only highly vibrationally excited molecules and carrier gas is useful in various experiments related to the studies of highly vibrationally excited molecules.

Photodissociation of jet-cooled o-, m-, and p-ethyltoluene and p-fluoroethylbenzene at both 193 and 248 nm was studied separately using vacuum ultraviolet photoionization/multimass ion imaging techniques. Dissociation occurs exclusively through alkyl chain C-C bond cleavage. The measured photofragment translational energy distributions at 193 nm decrease monotonically with increasing translational energy. The distributions indicate that dissociation occurs from the ground electronic state after internal conversion. However, the photofragment translational energy distributions from o-, m-, and p-ethyltoluene obtained at 248 nm contain a slow and a fast component; the ratios between these components are 1:4, 1:1.3, and 1:6, respectively. On the other hand, only the slow component was observed from p-fluoroethylbenzene at 248 nm. The fast components are attributed to the dissociation from the triplet state after intersystem crossing, and the slow components result from the dissociation in the ground electronic state. Comparison with the photodissociation of benzene and toluene and ab initio calculation has been made.

Photoisomerization and photodissociation of aniline and 4-methylpyridine at 193 nm were studied separately using multimass ion imaging techniques. Photofragment translational energy distributions and dissociation rates were measured. Our results demonstrate that more than 23% of the ground electronic state aniline and 10% of 4-methylpyridine produced from the excitation by 193 nm photons after internal conversion isomerize to seven-membered ring isomers, followed by the H atom migration in the seven-membered ring, and then rearomatize to both methylpyridine and aniline prior to dissociation. The significance of this isomerization is that the carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen atoms belonging to the alkyl or amino groups are involved in the exchange with those atoms in the aromatic ring during the isomerization.

Photodissociation of both fluorobenzene and d(5)-fluorobenzene at 193 nm under collision-free conditions has been studied in separate experiments using multimass ion imaging techniques. HF and DF eliminations were found to be the major dissociation channels. Small amounts of photofragments, C(6)H(4)F and C(6)D(4)F, corresponding to H and D atom eliminations were also observed. Dissociation rate and fragment translational energy distribution suggest that HF (DF) and H (D) atom elimination reactions occur in the ground electronic state. The potential energy surface obtained from ab initio calculations indicates that the four-center reaction in the ground electronic state is the major dissociation mechanism for the HF and DF eliminations. A comparison with photodissociation of benzene has been made.

The photodissociation of isotope-labeled toluene C(6)H(5)CD(3) and C(6)H(5)(13)CH(3) molecules at 6.4 eV under collision-free conditions was studied in separate experiments by multimass ion imaging techniques. In addition to the major dissociation channels, C(6)H(5)CD(3) --> C(6)H(5)CD(2) + D and C(6)H(5)CD(3) --> C(6)H(5) + CD(3), the respective photofragments CD(2)H, CDH(2), and CH(3) and their heavy fragment partners C(6)H(4)D, C(6)H(3)D(2), and C(6)H(2)D(3) were observed from C(6)H(5)CD(3) dissociation. Photofragments (13)CH(3) and CH(3), and their heavy fragment partners C(6)H(5) and (13)CC(5)H(5), were also observed from C(6)H(5)(13)CH(3) dissociation. Our results show that 25% of the excited toluene isomerizes to a seven-membered ring (cycloheptatriene) and then rearomatizes prior to dissociation. The isomerization pathway competes with direct C-C bond and C-H bond dissociation. The significance of this isomerization is that the carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms belonging to the alkyl group are involved in an exchange with those atoms in the aromatic ring during isomerization. The dissociation rate of toluene at 193 nm is measured to be (1.17 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) s(-)(1).